Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been sentenced to 74 lashes after performing in an online concert without wearing a hijab, sparking fresh outrage among human rights activists and artists who accuse Tehran of intensifying its crackdown on cultural dissent.
According to reports reviewed by rights groups and legal experts, Ahmadi and eight members of her production team were punished over a concert that was livestreamed on YouTube in 2024. Court documents cited by The Guardian indicate that a criminal court in Iran’s Qom province ordered 74 lashes for the group, while also imposing a two-year travel ban and a two-year prohibition on participating in artistic activities.
The artists were reportedly convicted on charges related to creating and disseminating what authorities described as “vulgar and immoral content” that violated public decency standards. As of now, Iran’s judiciary has not officially published the ruling.
The reported sentence has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights advocates, who view the case as part of a broader campaign to silence artists and women who challenge the Islamic Republic’s strict social codes.
Bahar Ghandehari of the Center for Human Rights in Iran said the punishment demonstrates that the country’s human rights record remains deeply troubling despite efforts by Iranian authorities to project a more moderate image internationally. She argued that sentencing a woman to flogging merely for singing and appearing without a hijab underscores the persistence of state repression.
Prominent Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad also reacted strongly to the reports, describing the punishment as further proof that the regime perceives women’s voices as a threat. In a social media post, she contrasted Iran’s diplomatic engagement with foreign governments with its harsh treatment of female artists at home, calling the incident a manifestation of what she described as gender-based apartheid.
Legal experts have similarly challenged the basis of the ruling. Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli noted that Iranian law does not explicitly criminalize women singing or producing music. He warned that imposing corporal punishment on artists and activists raises serious concerns regarding Iran’s obligations under international human rights norms, particularly those prohibiting torture and degrading treatment.
The case has also triggered reactions from members of the Iranian diaspora. Iranian-British actor Nazanin Boniadi criticised the reported sentence as evidence that repression continues despite recurring speculation about political reforms. Actor Setareh Maleki, who left Iran after appearing in the Oscar-nominated film The Seed of the Sacred Fig, said Ahmadi’s performance had inspired renewed resistance among many Iranians opposed to cultural restrictions.
The controversy traces back to December 2024, when Ahmadi performed the patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan(“From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland”) during a livestreamed concert. Appearing without a hijab and dressed in a sleeveless black outfit, she performed alongside four male musicians in a video that quickly went viral and attracted millions of views on YouTube.
The performance was widely celebrated by supporters as an act of artistic expression and defiance against mandatory dress codes. However, it also attracted the attention of Iranian authorities. Ahmadi and several musicians involved in the concert were briefly detained shortly after the video was published online. Although they were later released, legal proceedings continued, eventually resulting in the reported sentence that has now ignited international criticism.
The case has once again placed the spotlight on Iran’s treatment of artists and women, with critics arguing that the punishment reflects the state’s continuing efforts to police personal freedoms and suppress dissenting voices in the cultural sphere.
